Community Energy Boost Grant

The Community Energy Boost Grant is an initiative administered through Energize Connecticut, a statewide program supported by utility sponsors including Eversource and Avangrid. The program is funded through a charge on customer energy bills and is aligned with the state’s Conservation and Load Management Plan for 2025–2027. The grant is designed to leverage the local expertise, relationships, and outreach capabilities of community-based organizations and municipalities to increase participation in energy efficiency programs. These programs include Home Energy Solutions – Income Eligible, heat pump adoption initiatives, Small Business Energy Advantage, and the Multifamily Initiative. The primary objective of the grant is to expand awareness and engagement in energy efficiency offerings by empowering trusted local entities to conduct grassroots outreach and education. The program emphasizes collaboration between municipalities and community organizations, requiring partnerships that combine local governance with on-the-ground engagement capacity. Through these partnerships, the initiative aims to advance both state and local climate goals while increasing energy efficiency adoption across residential and business sectors. Funding for the Community Energy Boost Grant is awarded based on the scope and design of proposed outreach campaigns, selected focus areas, and the population targeted. Awards for short-term campaigns typically range from 1,000 to 5,000 dollars. Funds must be used specifically for outreach, education, and engagement activities that promote energy efficiency programs. Allowable uses include marketing materials, event coordination, partnership development, and communication campaigns. All expenditures must be documented through a detailed budget proposal, and recipients are required to maintain fiscal transparency and comply with oversight from the sponsoring utilities. Eligibility for the grant is restricted to entities located within Connecticut and within the service territories of the sponsoring utilities. Eligible applicants include incorporated nonprofit organizations, community groups, chambers of commerce, councils of governments, and municipalities. Municipal entities are required to partner with an organization for both application submission and program implementation. Additionally, all applicants must designate a project lead and possess a Federal Tax ID, as individuals are not eligible to apply independently. The application process requires submission of a completed and signed application form along with supporting documentation such as a W-9, a detailed budget proposal, and project descriptions. Optional materials may include letters of support and memoranda of agreement between collaborating entities. Applicants are encouraged to attend informational webinars and may schedule meetings with program representatives to refine their proposals. Applications are evaluated based on completeness, quality, feasibility of the outreach plan, strength of community ties, projected energy savings impact, and the clarity of the proposed budget and timeline. The grant operates on a rolling application basis with submissions accepted through October 1, 2026 at 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Awardees are expected to execute a memorandum of agreement and complete their outreach projects by December 31, 2026. During the project period, recipients must participate in training sessions, submit outreach materials for approval, engage in periodic coordination calls, and provide progress reporting. A final report summarizing outcomes and lessons learned is required within 15 business days after the project concludes. While the program may be offered in future cycles aligned with broader state energy planning efforts, recurrence is not explicitly guaranteed. Program participants benefit from structured support including training on energy programs, access to marketing materials, consultation with utility staff, and opportunities to collaborate with other communities. These resources are intended to enhance the effectiveness of outreach campaigns and ensure consistent messaging across the state. The program ultimately seeks to create scalable, community-driven models for increasing participation in energy efficiency programs and achieving long-term environmental and economic benefits.

Focus on clear outreach strategy, strong community partnerships, and measurable impact aligned with energy efficiency goals; ensure complete and detailed budget and timeline.